Printing machine



Feb. 7, 1928.

H. c. OSBORN I PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Swveuioz a ew [25; am

amznur Feb. 7, 1928. v

. v H. c. OSBORN PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 16. 1925 gubemtoz H.C.OSBORN PRINTING MACHINE Feb. 7, 1928, v 1,658,139

Filed May 16, 1925 4 Sheets-Shet 5 5 gwvemto'a Feb. 7, 1928.

I 1,658,139 H. c. OSBORN PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 16, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I I anon dob 846mm; v 6

alien/wag Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

HENRY c. osiaonn, or CLEVELAND, 0HIO,]ASSIGNOR TO THE COMPANY, or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORA 1,658,139- ICE.

AMERICAN MULTIGRAIH ION OF OHIO.

rnm'rme mncnmn.

Application filed May 16,1925. seriai'm. 80,658.

This invention relates to office printing machines primarily adapted for printing on envelopes, cards, tags and the like. One of the objects of the invention is to provide for the eifective printing on objects of various thicknesses without adjustment. Another object is to enable the presence of the article to be printed to cause the printing movement of a normally idle printing device, thus insuring each article being printed, While preventing the smudging of'the platen by the transfer of ink thereto when the article is absent.

Other objects of the invention are to provide for the ready change of the printing characters or a portion thereof as desired, and generally to render the construction cheap, eflicient and durable. l

My printing machine is well adapted for cancelling stamps, as it is adapted to operate equally well-on articles of various thicknesses arranged indiscriminately. The machine however may with advantage be put to other uses. The machine is preferably arranged so that the same installation may be driven either by power or by hand as desirable at the time.

A convenient embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof, and is hereinafter more fully described and the essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is'a front elevation of my printing machine, the dpaper table being removed and the han Y crank being broken away; Fig. 2 is a sectional side'elevation of such machine showing the paper table in place, the plane of the section being indicated by the line 22 on Fig.- 1,

looking toward the left; Fig. 3 is a detail of gearing which may be employed, being a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1 looking toward the right; Fig. 4is 'a vertical central transverse section of the machine as indicated by the line 4'4. on Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a transverse section on an off-set plane indicated by the line 55 on Fig. 2;Fig. 6 is an elevation of the controlling linka e system shown in Fig. 2, the controlling dis and platen being indicated by broken lines; Fig. 7 is an edge view of such linkage sys ,tem; Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the segment of the printing drum as indicated by the line 88 in Fig. 1;'Fig. 9 is a detail, illustrating means for holding the type form on the segment, this view being a cross-section ind catedby the line 99 on Fig. 8; Flg. 10 1s a perspective of one of the type holding rails, a type and the lock therefor.

The frame of my machine is shown as consisting of a pair of upright end plates 10 ment and platen may be suitably impressed by a type form on the segment.

' The type segment is yieldingly carried so that it may give back from the platen according to the different thicknesses of material fed between them. To effect this, I mount on the shaft 20 a sleeve 22, carrying a disk 23 at one end of the sleeve, and a double arm 24 and 25 at the other end. The hub portion 26 of this double arm is shown as secured to the-end of the sleeve by screws.

The segment 30 near one end has an inward ear 31 which lies between the disk 23 and the arm-25, and a pin 32 occupying these parts pivots the segment to the rotatable member. I

To a block 33 rigid on the inner face of the segment near its other end is pivoted a rod 34 which extends loosely through a pin 35 carried by the rigid arm 24:- Nuts 36 on this rod limit the outward movement of the segment while a compression spring 37 surrounding the rod between a head 38 thereon and a washer 39 loose on the rod and hearing againstthe pin 35 yieldingly holds the segment in printing position but allows it to give back according to the thickness of the material fed between the segment and platen. v

The type form is carried on the convexface of the segment 30 at some distance from its pivoted end. I have shown this portion of the segment as provided with rails 40 which are grooved on their sides as shown at 41, Figs. 9 and 10, to receive type 42 grooved on its sides so that the head of the type rests on top of the rails.0,' while the feet project into the grooves 41. The type may be readily slid into place-endwise of t e segment and locked therein by sultable blocks 43 (Figs. 8 and 10) which may be held. by screws passing into the segment.

' The segment coacts with a suitable platen long roller 52 mounted which is shown as a on a shaft 50 which is geared with the shaft by a pinion 55 on the platen shaft, meshing with a gear 56 on the segment shaft.

Either of these shafts may constitute the driver. I have shown a crank'60 mounted on the shaft 20, and I have shown the pinion as connected by an idler 57 with a pinion 58 on a shaft 59which carries at its other end a driving pulley 62. Accordingly, the machine may be operated either by hand power applied to the crank 60 or mechanical .power applied to the pulley 62, as desired. 20'

' against a fiber washer which bears against -washer by a compression sprin spring surrounds the shaft and a disk 71 secured to the shaft 20 by a pin 72 occupying a groove in the disk. On the opposite side of the portion 26 of the segment carrier is a fiber washer 74. Beyond thls is a loose collar 7 5 which is pressed toward the 76. The ars atits far end against a collar 77 clamped in adjusted position on the shaft. By this means suitable frictional pressure is caused to exist on opposite ends of the segment carrier, so that it will be readily rotated to eflect printing whenever it is free to rotate, but when locked will allow the shaft 20 to rotate independently of the carrier. 8

The lock for the segment carrier is best shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and comprises a dog 7 80 on a lever 81 journalled on a sleeve 83 loose on a cross rod 82 mounted in the end plates. A spring 84 between the lower end of this lever and the end plate 10 tends to swing the upper end of the lever toward the segment carrier and bring the dog into position to engage a shoulder 85 provided by a notch in the edge of the disk 23 as shown in Fig. 2. The dog 80 is preferably pivoted to the lever 81 but is normally retained against a pin 87 on the lever by a tension spring 88-. This spring allows the dog to yield and thus act as a shock absorber in V stopping the rotation of the segment earrier The mechanism described normally main tains the segment locked in stationary posithe periphe spring 96 connected to the lower end of the levcrand to the end plate. At one region in of the disk 71 is formed a notch 97 an when this notch comes opposite the roller, the spring 96 may swing the lever 90, moving the roller into the notch and pulling forwardly on the link 93, to pull the dog 80 rearwardly tofree the segment carrier, whereupon the latter will be drawn through the frictional connection with the rotating shaft 20. y

The unlocking movement of the linkage system just described is normally blocked by the rock arm 100 on the sleeve 83, which arm stands with its end in front of a block 99 v. i

on the lever as shown in Fig. 2. -The arm 1.00 is connected with va feeler finger 101 which is pinned to the end of the sleeve 83 and extends forwardly above the platen, normally lying in a groove 102 therein, and curved upwardly in front of the line of impression and above the plane of the paper table I If material to be printed is shoved rearwardly into position between the segment carrier and the platen, it will come beneath the turned up end of the finger 101 and raise it, thereby rocking upwar ly the arm out of the path of the block 99, and then when the notch 97 comes opposite the roller 95, thespring 96 will swing this roller into the notch and pull on the link 93 to swing the lever 81 to withdraw the dog 80 from the shoulder 85, the parts thus coming into the position shown in Fig. 6.' This unlocks the platen carrier so that it may be rotated by friction by the rotating shaft "20 and, thus cause printing on the material, as well as the rearward feed and discharge thereof. It should be noted that the notch 85 is so positioned with reference to the printing segment 30 that the segment carrier stands, normally with the printing face just in front of the printing position. most immediately after the release of the Accordingly alsegment, by means of the paper raising the finger 101,'the segment comes into coaction with the pacper'to print upon it and corn tinue its fee v The paper may be manually advanced to gripping position at any period of the cycle and will ordinarily lift the finger 101 to re move the arm 100 from the stop 99, so that whenever the notch 97 comes opposite the roller 95, the release of the segment carrier is efiected. It will be seen from Fig. 2 that. when the roller 95 is hearing on the circular position of the periphery of the 1 disk 71, there is a slight clearance between V the block 99 and the end of the arm 100, which allows the latter to be easily raised by the insertion of the paper beneath the arm 101. Since the paper may be inserted while the notch- 97 is opposite the roller 95, when'the block 99 is hearing against the arm 100, I provide a yielding connection between the finger and the am 100. As shown, the tinger 101 is rigid on one end of the sleeve 83 which carries at its other end anarm 104 which is connected by a spring 105. with the arm 100. 'Accordingly,'if the paper is inserted beneath the finger 101 at a time when the pressure of the block 99 against the end of the arm 100 prevents its movement, the spring 105 will simply be stretched, and then as soon as the notch 97 passes the roller 95 so that the pressure is relieved on the arm 100, the spring will lift the same free, from the block 99 and the carrier will be released when the notch 97 again comes opposite theroller 95. When soreleased the block 99 lies below the end of the arm 100 as shown in Fig. 6 so that the latter may not drop until the'notch has passed beyond the roller.

As soon as the notch 97 has moved past the roller 95, the lever 90 will beswung, its lower end moving rearwardly, and as the dog 80 is then opposite the circular periphery of the disk 23, the lower end of the lever 81 cannot move rearwardlyat that time. Accordingly, I provide some loose play in the connection between the levers, preferably by means of a slot 119 in the link 93, c

The paper or other articles to be printed are fed to the printed couple automatically or manually as desired. The drawing illustrates at 110 a paper table along which the articles may be shoved by hand. Astop finger 112 having an upturned end is provided which occupies an annular groove 113 in the platen and normally stands with the upturned endprojecting through a shield strip 114 secured at a forward end above the paper table and at the rear end to the rod 82,- or in some other similar manner.

The upturned end of the stop finger is lo-,

cated adjacent to the 'li'ne of emotion of the I printing member and platen. This stop fin ger is carried by the lever 90 and is rocked down to idle position whenever the lever is rocked to effect the release of the segment carrier.

As this lever 90 is ordinarily returned 'to active position, before the paper has passed beyond the stop finger, I'provide a yielding conne ction between the latter and the lever 90. As shown, the stop finger has a vertical car 115 by which it is-loosely pivoted to the lever 90. Rigid on this lever is a short arm 116 lying against the ear. The ear carries a pin 117 beneath the arm, while a spring 113 H seated in a socket in the arm bears against the under-side of the finger. Accordingly, the finger and its yielding anchorage is rocked down as aunitwhen the tnrnedend of the fingern As soon as the paper, fed rearwardly beneath the shield strip 114 and against the end of the stop finger 112, has been released by'the. swinging down of the stop finger and has been gripped by the type segment and platen it is drawn rearwardly and printed thereby. Insuch rearward travel, its'forward edge comes over the ejection roller 120 which is tightly mounted on the shaft 59 and thus rotated with its top surface travel-- ing toward the rear. Resting on this roller is a roll 121 mounted in a trough shape arm 122 pivoted on the rod 82 and pressed downwardly by a coil spring- 124. This roll 121 lies lightly upon the paper and thus causes its effective ejection.- The discharged printshield,126'which is shown as mounted on a frame rod 127 and as secured at 1 28 to the end plates.

As heretofore stated, the printed segment may bereadily inked on each rotation by engagement with the inking roller 130. This roller may be of the form shown in Fig. 5 and comprises a: felt sleeve, or felt disks mounted side-by-side, on a bushing 131,

through a slot in the arm serves to lock it in'the desired position. The other end of the shaft 137 is preferably journalled within a socket in the end of ii stud 140 which is carried by a frame member 11. This stud carries a pinion 142 which meshes with the gear 56 on the shaft 20. Projecting from the pinion are a pair of pins 143 which occupy -rad-ialslots 144 in a; collar 145v rigid on the shaft 135. This coupling enables the gear to rotate the roller continuously irrespective of the adjustment of the roller by the eccentric mounting toward or from the segment path.

It will be seen from the drawings and description that my machine is simple in construction and that it may receive articles of varying width and thickness, as for instance,

cd articledlops at the rear of the machine. I being guided downwardly by the inclined I slidable from a thin sheet to a catologue of a number of pages or a letter with several enclosuresj The feeding of the article may be performed at any stage of the cycle, and it issirnply necessary for the operator to give the article a slight rearward shove, after which the machine will automatically grip such article and effect the printing and the discharge. This feed may be 'done manually while the machine is being driven by power or being rotated by the other hand of the operator. My machine may be used for many purposes, and is particularly well adapted, for instance, for useas a stamp canceller in ofiices which do not require elaborate automatically fed stamp-cancelling machines.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: I

1. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary carrier, a printing segment pivoted at one end to the carrier, a rod pivoted to the se ment adjacent the other end, and through a guide on the carrier, and an adjustable nut on the rod retarding the outward movement of the segment.

2. "In a, printing machine, the combination of a" rotary carrier, a printing segment pivoted at one end to the carrier, a rod connected 1 to the segment adjacent the other end, and

a compression spring surrounding the rod retarding the inward movement of the segment.

3. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary carrier, a segment pivoually mountedyat one end on the carrier, and spring pressed outwardly adjacent its other end, arcuate rails on the segment, and

grooved type mounted between said rails.

24. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary carrier comprismga disk at one end of a hub and a pair of arms at the other end, a segment pivoted between one of the I arms and the disk, and a spring acting on the segment and bearing against a pin between the other arm and the disk.

5. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary platen, a rotary carrier mounted on a parallel axis, a printing segment pivotedto the carrier, and spring-pressed outwardly, a friction drive for the carrier, a

latch adapted to prevent rotation of the carrier, and a paper actuated member for releasing the latch.

6. In a printing machine, the combination with a printing member and platen, of a filly acts, a finger extending transversely of the,

ger adapted to be raised by paper moved beneath it, an abutment removed by said finger from the path of mechanism which by other power removes a stop normally preventing the activity of the couple, whereby the movement of said finger may control the coaction between the printing member and platen without overloading the finger.

7. In a printing machine, the combination ofa rotatable printing member, means for rotating the member, a latch ada ted to restrain its movement, means-centre led by the a latching mechanism normally restrainin the printing coaction, a member controlle by the rotating means for temporarily preventing the feeding of material to be print.- ed, an operating connection between said member and the latch, and means movable by the material in position to be printed for simultaneously rendering such connection effective to release the latch and to allow the feedingof the material.

9. In a printing machine, the combina-. I

tion'of'a normally stationary printing-member, means 'for moving said member, a N.-

tary platen -coacting therewith, a rai-sable fingerextending transversely of the line of coaction of the printing member and platen and occupying an annular groove 1n the platen, said finger being adapted to be raised by paperpassed beneath it, a latch mechanism for preventing movement of the printing member, operable by said moving means and during a certain portion of the cycle of its movement to release said printing member, and means whereby the raising of the finger place-s said mechanism into condition to bev operated. p

10. In a printing machine, the combinationof a pair of printing members'one of Whichis normally inactive, a driving means to render the latter active, means for maintaining such inactive relation, and a movable member normally interposed in the path of paper to'be printed, said member having a connection with the maintaining means whereby when such material is presented to the printing members said movable member acts to cause the driving means to release the maintaining means. I

11. In a printing machine, the combination of a normally stationary rotary carrier,

aprinting segment mounted on the carrier,

a platen with which the printing segment coline of coaction of the printing memberand platen adjacent the path of travel of the segment, and adapted to be raised by the insertion of paper, a latch for preventing nected with said finger for operation therebe raised by the insertion of material to be trolled thereby adapted toprevent such 0pprinted, anda normal obstruction to the re- 12. In aprinting machine, the combination of a normally stationary rotary carrier, said finger. a segment pivoted to the carrier and'spring 18. In a printing machine, the combinapressed outwardly, type removably mounted -tion with a platen, of a rotary printing on the convex face of the segment, a rotary member, a latch adapted to hold the printplaten with which such type is adapted to ing member stationary, a rotary cam, a lever coact, the platen and type serving to feed the having a roller coacting with the cam, means paper rearwardly, a finger adapted to be connecting said lever with the latch, wheremoved by the paper, a latch for preventing by when the roller responds to the cam the.

movement of .the carrier, and mechanism latch may be releasechand a paper conwhereby the movement of the fingermay retrolled device for blocking such movement. sult in the release of the latch. a 19. In a printing machine, the combina- 13. In a printing-'machine, the combination of a rotary printing member, a lever tion of a normally stationary printing memcarrying a dog adapted to prevent movement lease of the latch removed by the raising of g ber, a normall moving cam, means whereby of the printing member, a friction drive the cam is a apted to periodically initiate tending to move the printing member, arothe movement of the printing member, a ta-ry cam operated in unison with the fricpaper actuated finger, and mechanism -contion drive, a leveradapted to be moved by eration by the cam. and the lever first mentioned.

14. In a printing machine, the combina- '20. In a printing machine, the combinationof a rotary printing member, a latch tion with ajrotary platen, of a rotatable adapted to hold it stationary, a rotary cam, shaft parallel therewith, a pair of disks one mechanism periodically actuated thereby tight on the shaft and the other loose there- 1 and adapted when unobstructed to release on, a cam on the tight disk. a prin g the latch, mechanism normally obstructing ber carried by the loose disk, a latch for the such operation, and a paper actuated finger printing member, and mechanism operated for releasing the last mentioned mechanism. by the cam for releasing the latch.

15.,In a printing machine, the combina- 21. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary printing member, a latch tion with. a rotary platen, of a rotatable drive therefor, a platen coacting with the for holding it stationary, a friction drive Shaft parallel therewith, a cam tight on,the tending to rotate the printing member, a shaft, a printing member loose on the shaft, normally moving cam, mechanism periodia-latch for the printing member, mechanism vcally actuated thereby for releasing the pe e by he cam for releasing the latch,

latch, and a device controlled by the presa 1" 1Sa 1e finger extendmg between the ence or absence of the article to be printed pr nting member and platen, means normalfor determining the effectiveness of the last 1y P IIIg' he cam releasing the latch, mentio d h i I C and'means whereby said finger when raised 16. In a printing machine, the combinay the p pe I W l prevent ng tion of a rotary printing member, a friction an I F 22. In a prlntlng machine, the combinaprinting member, a latch for preventing h of a rotary P mh 11011113113 nt f th i ti b a cam stat onary, alatch for the prmtingmember, adapted to periodically release the latch, a a p finger adapted to retard the msertlon finger extending transversely of the line of of ihe p p a m, and means whereby he o tion of the printing member and platen, 0am may cause the release of the latch and and adapted to be raised by the material to the Withdrawal of the p g be printed upon. and means blocking the k In a p n gng hine, the omb-inaefi'ectivene'ss of the cam-operating mecha- 131011. 0 a ry prlntmg member normally nism, said means being adapted to be moved statlonary, a rotary Cam normally movmg to idle position by the raising of such finger. a "latc 1:01 h p inting member, aroller 17. In a printing machine, the combinated by the 0am, a linkagesystem betion of a rotar carrier, a segment pivotally tween he roller and latch, a stop finger mounted there y, and spring-pressed utadapted to retard the insertion Of the paper, wardly, printing characters mounted on the and means whereby the actuation of the linkconveX face of the segment, a platen with ge system by the cam withdraws the stop which said characters may coact, a friction finger. drive for the carrier, a latch adapted to hold 24. In a printing machine, the combinathe carrier stationary, a rotary cam, mechation of a rotary printing member normally nism between the same and the latch, Wherestationary, a rotary cam normally moving, by the cam may release the latch, a raisable a latch for the printing member, actuating finger extending transversely between the mechanisnt for the latch adapted to be opprinting member and platen and adapted to stated by the cam, a stop finger adapted to a cam, and a connection between saidlever finger, a finger adapted to be engaged by the paper, means normally blocking the opera tion of said actuatlng mechanism, and means whereby the movement of said finger withdraws said blocking means.

25. In a printing" machine, the combination of a rotary platen, a rotary printing member normally stationary, but adapted to coact therewith, a rotary friction drive therefor normally moving, a rotary cam normally moving, a latch for the printing member, a

roller actuated by the cam, a linkage ystem between the roller and latch, a stop finger adapted to retardthe insertion of the paper, meanswhereby the actuation of the linkage system by the cam releases the latch and withdraws the stop finger, a raisable finger extending between the printing member and platen, and means for normally blocking the operation ofthe linkage system, and means whereby the raising of said finger withdraws said blocking means.

- 'In'testimony whereof, herento aflix my signature.

HENRY O. QS BORN. 

